Village of Oak Lawn Elevated Water Tank

Upon entering the Village of Oak Lawn, Illinois, a visitor’s first impression is of a manicured parkway surrounding a 1-million gallon waterspheroid embellished by a colorful mural made all the more impressive by the use of an advanced fluoropolymer coating system from Tnemec. “The mural is a collage of various buildings in Oak Lawn,” explained coating consultant Erik Otten of Taylor Coating Sales. “The project was an overcoat of an existing coating system applied approximately 12 years ago.”

The exterior of the tank was power washed in accordance with SSPC-SP12/NACE No. 5 Surface Preparation and Cleaning of Metals by Waterjetting Prior to Recoating to remove all loose paint and contamination. Failed areas were prepared in accordance with SSPC-SP11 Power Tool Cleaning to Bare Metal and spot primed with Series 135 Chembuild, a high-build polyamidoamine epoxy for use on tightly adhering existing coatings. The elevated water tank in the Village of Oak Lawn, IL, was chosen from more than 140 entries as one of the 2011 Tnemec Tank of the Year runners-up. The tank stands protected with a coating system featuring HydroFlon.

An intermediate coat of Series 1075 Endura-Shield II, an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane, was roller-applied to provide additional film thickness for corrosion resistance to all surfaces. A finish coat of Series V700 HydroFlon, an advanced fluoropolymer in the color Tank White, was roller applied to provide outstanding resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light degradation and unprecedented long-term gloss and color retention. “Fifteen different colors of Series V700 were used to create the streetscape mural,” Otten noted. “Series V700 was specified to comply with current volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations in Illinois.”

In describing the elaborate mural, Village Manager Larry R. Deetjen explained, “Our goal was to incorporate landmarks that connote the proud history of a community built and maintained to nurture and educate families and provide support for commerce, quality health care and recreation.”

Featured landmarks included Hope Children’s Hospital and its new ambulatory pavilion, the city’s Village Green Pavilion, and a tent and fireworks from the community’s annual Fall on the Green festival. Other structures include one of the city’s oldest homes known for its Victorian architecture, the Oak Lawn Hilton, and a steeple reflecting the foundation of the family oriented community.

The tank’s interior steel was prepared in accordance with SSPC-SP10/NACE No. 2 Near-White Blast Cleaning and primed with a spray-applied coat of Series 91-H2O Hydro-Zinc. The interior received two spray-applied coats of Series N140 Pota-Pox Plus, a polyamidoamine epoxy that offers high-build edge protection and allows for application at a wide range of temperatures. Both 91-H2O and Series N140 are certified in accordance with NSF/ANSI Std. 61 for use on interior potable water tanks.

Approximately 500 gallons of the various coatings were required to complete the project, which was voted a runner-up in Tnemec’s 2011 Tank of the Year judging.